And again Battleship, but this time about a classic school game played on notebook paper. History has not preserved information about who and when invented this amazing game, but it is a fact that many generations of schoolchildren in the Soviet Union played it. Legends were made up about this game, poems were written, different types of battles and new rules were invented. It is not surprising that the boom in Naval combat continues and even gains new momentum; now you can play not only with an opponent, but also with a computer, tablet and even with a phone...
Most recently, on our website, we described, and today we’ll talk about the classic rules of the game Sea Battle on paper. The classic version of the sea battle game is played by two people. To play, you will need two squared notebook pages and two pencils or pens. The players each take a piece of paper and a pen and sit down so that they cannot see each other’s pieces of paper - this is a real military secret and the fate of the entire company depends on the secrecy of the fleet’s positions. Next, players draw two squares measuring 10 by 10 cells and number the vertical side, and write the letters of the alphabet on the horizontal side. You should pay attention to the spelling of the same letters by two players, otherwise the game will be ruined. Of course, you can change the arrangement of letters and numbers, you can increase or decrease the size of the playing field, but a prerequisite is that this must be done in the same way for two players.
After the squares for future military operations have been drawn, you should hide them well from the eyes of your opponent and begin to arrange your fleet, but before that, carefully read the following rules:
- in the classic rules of the game “Sea Battle”, ships are positioned only horizontally or vertically and cannot be curved;
- in the classic game “Battleship”, ships cannot touch each other either at their sides or at their corners, there must be a distance of at least one cell between ships;
- In the classic game "Battleship", each player places ten (10) ships of different sizes:
- 1 (one) four-cell battleship;
- 2 (two) three-cell cruisers;
- 3 (three) two-cell destroyers;
- 4 (four) single-cell submarines or torpedo boats (as you like).
Ships should be placed on the left square, and the right one will be used to mark your shooting, analyze the situation and fire at enemy ships. The figure shows an example of the arrangement of ships. Attention, if you decide to change the rules of the game to increase the number of ships, then you need to increase the size of the game squares, otherwise there simply will not be enough space to arrange the ships.
When the ships are positioned, the time comes to begin the naval battle and one of the admirals, according to the lot, fires his first shot. This is done like this: the player looks at the right square and selects any place available for a shot and names it out loud. For example: “e2” or “i9”. The second participant in the naval battle looks at his left square, where his ships are located, finds the indicated point and reports the result of the shot:
- by (miss) - if this point is empty, in this case both players mark a point at this place, which means that they have already shot at these coordinates and there is no ship there;
- wounded - if this is one of the places where the ship stands and this ship still has whole fragments of the hull, in this case a mark is made with a cross with the beginning of the lines in the corners of the square;
- killed (sank) - if in this place there is a one-cell submarine or another ship, in which all fragments of the hull are already damaged, in this case a cross is placed and the entire ship is surrounded by dots, because the ship is sunk, its coordinates are completely determined, and according to the rules of naval combat, no other ships can be located on adjacent cells. In this way, a mark is made and fire will no longer be fired at these coordinates.
Please note that according to the rules of the classic game of sea battle, the player who fired an effective shot and wounded or killed the enemy ship continues the game and fires another shot. He continues to fire until he misses. The game continues until all the ships of one of the fleets go to the bottom, that is, until one of the fleets is completely destroyed.
Attention, if you wish, you can change the rules of the game and add your own elements. For example, some people introduce one or two sea mines into the game. When hit by such a mine, the shooting player must name the coordinates of any of his unsunk ships. In addition, you can play with three players, then the players draw three squares and fire at one squadron at once, and then at the other. In addition, you should mark not only your own shots, but also those of your opponents when they shoot at each other. The introduction of new rules into the game will diversify it and make it more exciting, but these rules need to be carefully thought out and tested in practice.
In the following articles, we will definitely analyze tactical techniques for deploying fleets and the correct strategy for firing at an enemy squadron. Have a nice time.
On our website you can find others that you can play with your friends.
It is rare that any adult is not familiar with exciting and simple fun on paper. Whether you play together or in a team, the trip will be fun, breaks will not be boring and waiting in line will not be tiring. By introducing a child or friend to the rules, the lesson will help where communication does not reach.
No institutional knowledge or expensive equipment is required. Two checkered pieces of paper and two pens are enough. Of course, children like computer games, but a paper “battle”, although with a live opponent, is much more attractive. In addition, Naval battles develop strategic thinking and intuitive qualities.
Classic Battleship
On the playing field, players draw squares with sides of 10 cells so that the opponent does not see. Two playing fields are numbered: letters are written on top (by agreement), and numbers are written on the left side of the square from top to bottom. In Soviet times, children did not write the alphabet, but a word in which the letters were not repeated. For example, “Snow Maiden” or “republic”. On the first field they have their own fleet.
The opponent's field is needed to adjust battle tactics and to remember moves. In the second square - the sea with the enemy fleet, used for reconnaissance, marking moves and hitting enemy ships.
Deployment of a fleet of 10 units. The names of the ships depend on the number of decks or pipes, and occupied cells.
Flotilla composition:
- four-deck (pipe) battleship, occupies 4 cells - 1 pc.;
— three-deck cruiser, 3-cell – 2 pcs.;
— two-cell destroyers – 3 pcs.;
- torpedo boats, 1 cell - 4 pcs.
According to the rules, the figures cannot touch each other even at an angle. Ships are positioned only vertically or horizontally. It cannot be placed at an angle or diagonally. Drawing is allowed at the edge of the field.
By agreement, an arrangement with the corners touching and placement in the form of the letter L, square or zigzag is allowed, but with the sides of the cells touching and not the corners in a 4-deck battleship. In other options there is a different set of ships.
It's easier to find a large ship, but it's faster to sink, although difficult to find, a single-celled boat.
Progress of the game. The right to make the first move in a Naval Battle is determined by lot. The one who starts first says the letter and number where the shot is intended, and marks it on another, blank square.
Moves are marked with a dot, and hits with a cross.
- The attacked player must respond “by” if the cell is empty. Places a dot at the location of the shot and names the coordinates of his shot.
- The answer is “wounded” if the hit was on a battleship, cruiser or destroyer and is marked with a cross. The shooter fires until he misses and the answer is “missing”.
- If it hits all the cells of the ship, it is considered killed. The attacker continues the attack until he misses.
The first one to knock out the enemy fleet will win.
At the end of the battle, players exchange sheets of paper to verify correctness and fairness. If the winner is found to have a violation, he is deprived of the victory, which goes to the second participant. The match may not be finished if one of the players breaks the rules.
Possible violations:
— incorrect formatting of fields;
— more or less than 10 vessels;
— touching ships;
— the field is not 10 cells;
- the writing of numbers and letters is impaired;
— completing the drawing of missing ships during the game;
— marks other than dots and crosses;
- peeping;
- skipping a move.
Winning tactics.
Knowing the preferences of your opponent, if he is a familiar person, will help determine the fleet placement.
Knowing that the ships cannot touch each other, do not fire at the area around the killed figures at a distance of one cell. Experienced players outline this space.
Occupy one corner of the field with multi-deck ships, gaining space. Distribute the boats in the remaining space. Single-celled vessels are harder to find and take longer to find. 
The multicellular fleet is not located at the edges of the field.
Another method is to divide the opponent's square into parts using shots, shooting sequentially from corner to corner of the field. Or into two parts horizontally and also vertically. To search for multicellular ships, shoot through the cage.
By dishonest means. Draw one single-deck ship towards the end of the battle in a cell missed by the enemy.
Rules of the game Sea battle abroad
Foreign players are proposing an increase in the number and size of ships.
For example, 1 ship is 5 cells, one is 4 cells, 2 are three-deck and 1 is 2 cells.
It's more difficult to play Battleship when the entire fleet consists of only single-cell boats.
By agreement, they shoot 2-3 times at once.
Russian and Soviet mathematician, physicist, teacher, who developed the genre of entertaining sciences, Ya. I. Perelman, described a case with the addition of 1-2 minutes to the classic Battleship. The circle occupies one cell that does not touch ships or other mines. When hit by a projectile, the shooter tells the opponent 1 cell of his own unhit fleet unit or chooses to skip a turn. The opponent has the right to shoot immediately or shoot later.
It is proposed to increase the size of the squares to 16 and 18 cells with the addition of ships, mines and a minesweeper. This is an isosceles triangle in one cell. When an enemy minesweeper is hit, the coordinates of its own field mine are given, if they have not yet been detonated. The placement rules are the same as when drawing the rest of the fleet. The next player moves. Mines and minesweepers are not the main ships and, even if they are not knocked out, the battle ends when the main flotilla is destroyed.
In another version, mines and minesweepers are in contact with each other and with the main figures.
An exciting game with a single-cell submarine, symbol - diamond. The submarine can be placed close to the ship, but not in the same cell as it. The player who is hit by the submarine gives his turn to the next one for the dying shot. The owner of the lost submarine is obliged to shoot at a place with the same coordinates.
Cons of a computer game
When playing Battleship with a robot, you don’t feel the reaction of your opponent when his ships are sunk. There is also no one to express the joy of victory to. The chance of peeking is also eliminated, which makes the game on paper unique and lively.
Conclusion
Having become familiar with the entertainment Battleship and the rules, you can not get bored at a meeting, at a lecture and have fun with friends.
An incredibly popular paper game. And although there are now special gaming kits for “Battleship”, as well as a lot of computer implementations, the classic version on a piece of paper remains the most popular.
The goal of the game is to sink the enemy's ships before he can sink yours.
Rules of the game "Battleship"
Two players play. Each of them needs a piece of paper (preferably checkered), a pencil or a pen. The game begins with preparing the field. Two squares of 10×10 cells are drawn on a piece of paper. On one of them they will deploy their ships, in the other they will “fire” on enemy ships.
The sides of the squares are signed with letters horizontally and numbers vertically. You need to agree in advance which letters will be written (the main debate arises whether or not to use the letter “Y”). By the way, in some schools, instead of the boring alphabet, they write the word “REPUBLIC” - it just contains 10 non-repeating letters. This is especially useful for those who have never mastered the alphabet.
Ship placement
Next, the deployment of fleets begins. The classic rules of naval combat say that there should be 4 ships of one cell ("single-deck" or "one-pipe"), 3 ships of 2 cells, 2 - 3 cells and one - four-deck. All ships must be straight; curved or “diagonal” ones are not allowed. The ships are placed on the playing field in such a way that there is always a gap of one square between them, that is, they should not touch each other either with their sides or corners. In this case, ships can touch the edges of the field and occupy corners.
When the ships are placed, players take turns firing, calling the squares by their “coordinates”: “A1”, “B6”, etc. If a square is occupied by a ship or part of it, the opponent must respond “wounded” or “killed” (“sunk”). This cell is crossed out with a cross and you can take another shot. If there is no ship in the named cell, a dot is placed in the cell and the turn goes to the opponent.
The game is played until one of the players completely wins, that is, until all the ships are sunk.
At the end of the game, the loser can ask the winner to look at his arrangement of ships.
Mastery
If you think that sea battle is a game built solely on luck and luck, then you are mistaken. In fact, it contains both strategy and tactics, which we will talk about in conclusion. So - about tricks and various honest and not so honest methods of playing sea battle:
- First of all (and this is the most important thing!), you need to keep your sheet of ships so that the enemy cannot spy on your location;
- Be sure to keep track of your own and other people's moves, marking them with dots. This will prevent shots fired at the same cells;
- After sinking an enemy ship, also surround it with points so as not to shoot at places where there are obviously no ships;
- You should not place ships in the corners of the field: usually newbies shoot at them first. However, exceptions will be discussed below;
- It is necessary to develop a strategy for placement. An uneven distribution of ships gives a good result: gather all the “large” ships into one or two dense groups, and hide the remaining “single-deck” ships separately in secret places on the playing field. In this case, the enemy will quickly identify and destroy the group of large ships, and then will spend a long time searching for the remaining small ones;
- Having killed a large ship, the enemy surrounds it with dots. This means that, having found a “four-decker”, the enemy immediately opens (4+1+1)*3 = 18 cells (that is, 18% or almost 1/5 of the field). “Three-decker” gives 15 cells (15%), “double-decker” - 12%, and “single-decker” - 9%. If you place the “four-decker” against the wall, then it will allow you to open only 12 cells (10 for a three-decker, 8 for a two-decker). If you place the “four-decker” in a corner, it will allow you to open only 10 cells (8, 6 and 4, respectively). Of course, if the enemy realizes that all the ships are on the edge, he will quickly sink them. Therefore, it is better to use this advice in combination with the previous one.
- Shooting tactics can also be different. However, it is best to start destroying enemy ships by looking for a “four-decker”. To do this, you can shoot diagonally, or draw a diamond, or shoot through 3 cells to the fourth. As soon as a four-deck ship is found, we look for three-deck ones, then two. Of course, during the search process you will come across “all sorts of little things” and make adjustments to your plans.
- Here’s a dishonest way: arrange all the ships except the last single-deck (it will serve as the Elusive submarine). And he will be placed (and killed) only in the last remaining cell. It's quite easy to combat this: let the players place ships in one color and fire in another. It is possible, for example, for players to have pens or pencils of different colors and, after arranging the ships, simply exchange pens.
The game "Battleship" has been helping people pass the time during classes, lectures, lunch breaks, or just on cold winter evenings for more than 80 years. During this time, many generations have changed, but the game still remains relevant. Although it is being replaced by more modern and dynamic computer games, today it is almost impossible to find a schoolchild who does not know how to play naval battle and what it even is. I will tell you about the rules of the game, and also describe winning tactics. Let's look at how to play sea battle.
Rules of the game
Each player's playing field is a 10x10 square on which ships are placed. The field must contain numeric and alphabetic coordinates (vertical numbers are 1-10, and horizontally letters are from a to k). For the classic game, four one-cell ships (submarines), three two-cell ships (destroyers), two three-cell ships (cruisers) and one four-cell ship (battleship) are used. They are drawn inside the square. According to the rules, the ships should not touch each other. It is best to play on a sheet of paper with a square, because the drawing of ships is a circle of squares. One deck - one cell. Ships can be placed both horizontally and vertically. Next to his square, the player draws a second one, on which he marks “shots” at the enemy. When hitting an opponent's ship, a cross is placed on the opponent's field. The hit player fires another shot.
Violations
- The number of ships does not correspond to the rules
- The ships are located close to each other
- Changed field size
- Incorrect coordinates specified
Game process
- Players decide who will go first
- The player making the move names the coordinate where, in his opinion, the opponent's ship is located. For example, square A1.
- If he misses, the opponent must say “Miss!”; if he hits, “Hit,” “Wounded,” or “Killed,” depending on the size of the ship.
- The game continues until all the ships of one of the players are sunk.
How to win a sea battle
This strategy is one of many options for building a battle. Its essence lies in the fact that all large ships (from two to four cells) are located in one corner of the field and as compactly as possible. But single-celled ships are scattered throughout the rest of the field. As a result, your opponent will quickly find a grouping area of large ships quite quickly and begin to mercilessly destroy them. At this moment he will feel like a real genius, but we know what the catch is. During the time that your opponent spends searching for small ships, you will most likely have time to understand his tactics and destroy most of the ships, thereby making him nervous. The rest is a matter of technique. This article talked about the rules, the process of the game and gave examples of winning tactics on how to win a sea battle. With the right approach, all of the above can serve as a good knowledge base for getting maximum pleasure from the game.
Do you think you know how to play Battleship? Well, let's say, which one? Yeah, have you been stumped?
Let's start with the original version, let me remind those who have forgotten it: two people play. Everyone places 10 ships on their 10x10 field:
- 1 battleship
- 2 cruisers
- 3 destroyers
- 4 boats
The ships should not touch each other either at the corners or at the sides. It is prohibited to move or finish painting ships during the battle.
Field columns have a letter designation (a-k), rows have a numerical designation (1-10). They take turns: the first player names the opponent the square where the shot is fired (for example, b6), the opponent marks this place on his field and reports the result of the shot - missed or hit. If there is a hit, the player shoots again, if it misses, it’s the enemy’s turn. A ship is considered wounded if it has at least one intact hole, otherwise it is sunk. The battle continues until the fleet of one of the players is completely destroyed.
Typically, each player draws an additional field where he marks his shots and their results - this makes it much easier to do tactical analysis. The game through the eyes of one of the players ends up looking something like this (shots are shown as dots, hits as crosses. Enemy shots are marked on the left field, your own shooting is carried out on the right field, in principle, the enemy’s 4-deck battleship has already been determined - the next move should be aimed at the square g4):
Firstly, you can introduce not only straight ships, we also allowed such bizarre examples of the navy:
Secondly, you can play with three players according to the “Each against all” rule, when a player makes a shot at any of the opponents on his turn. But there is one BUT. Such games end with two almost always uniting against a third (this is a form of manifestation of a well-known psychological law), first overwhelming his fleet, and then dealing with each other. To avoid this, you can play with four players according to the “pair for pair” rule.
Thirdly, shooting can be carried out in volleys - we played three shots in a volley, but here, as you agree, at least all ten. In this case, the enemy is told the number of hits, but does not say in which cells the hit occurred.
And finally fourthly... I don’t even remember who brought up this option, but honor and praise to him. The field was the size 20x15 cells, was divided by a wavy line into “land” and “sea” (“land” was slightly shaded for clarity). The figures were also special - they were divided into land and sea and were placed on the corresponding part of the field; the plus was also air forces, which could be installed in any cell of the field. Contact between them was not allowed. In total, each had 14 figures:
Ground forces: tanks, battery, anti-aircraft gun
Naval forces: battleship, cruisers, destroyers, aircraft carrier
Air Force: stormtroopers
The battle was conducted according to standard rules. There was scope for tactics - to determine where the enemy’s border between land and sea was and to estimate their size.
Naturally, during the game there were often “clever people” who thought of it not so easy, not to draw the last boat when arranging the ships, but to place it on the field at the last moment on the remaining square. Previously, such people were beaten with candelabra. The game suddenly becomes uninteresting, which is true for all games where winning is ensured by deception. Therefore, be good boys and don’t deceive your people, otherwise they might remember the good old law about the candelabra.
